Loma Linda man honors his mother with a biography

A Loma Linda man has written a biography about his mother titled "The Nanjing Princess."

Leonard Pomfret spent 15 years taking the stories he heard from Kyung Pomfret's lips about her life in China during World War II, the Communist Party's rise to power, fleeing for Korea only to have a civil war split that country apart as well, and eventually settling in America.

She was a target in Japanese gun sights. She was beaten and abused by her own people. And she was put before a North Korean firing squad.

"People tell me her story could be a movie," Pomfret said. "It's a very explosive book."

Kyung Pomfret was born Feb. 10, 1935, in Nanjing, a city in eastern China.

She is a descendant of the Lian family, who the author said were advisers to Chinese emperors for centuries. Pomfret said his grandfather was an adviser to Chiang Kai-shek, the last president before the Communists took power in mainland China.

Her family ties also led her to meet world leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, and Kim Gu, who was the president of the Korean group fighting for independence from the Japanese in the early 20th century.

Pomfret wrote the story about his mother to let people know there is nothing they cannot overcome.

"She endured more than anyone could have endured, and she survived all of that," he said.

He said writing the book made him appreciate his mother even more.

The book was published in October, and Pomfret said it is getting positive feedback. A customer review from Amazon.com gives the book high praise.

"There was a lot of interesting history and I enjoyed the book even more, knowing (her)," wrote Jane Haines Lee. In her review, she gave it four stars out of five.

Kyung Pomfret is taking it all in stride.

"I never thought he would be able to finish it," she said, laughing. "I'm very proud of him."

She settled in Grand Terrace with her husband of more than 50 years, Jack Pomfret, who died of cancer early in 2012.

She has six children, 15 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.